Here’s a summary of Tuesday’s message:
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…
Hebrews 1:1-3 (ESV)
People search, it’s what we do. We want bigger and better all the time and in every way. That’s true now and it was true 2,000 years ago. The book of Hebrews focuses on how Jesus isn’t better, but best. Here’s 8 ways Jesus is worth stopping your search.
- God…has spoken to us by his Son… People have looked for divine revelation forever, but Jesus is the ultimate revelation. Signs, wonders, prophetic messages… Jesus did it all. (Matthew 13:17)
- …heir of all things… The world thinks wealth matters. Don’t believe that? Just watch the Democrats and Republicans fight over inheritance taxes. Inheritance is all over Hollywood, its a main motive in hundreds of films. But Jesus is the heir of ALL THINGS. That’s pretty conclusive.
- …he created the world… Alright, go ahead and paint a sunset. Take a picture of a sunset. Use photoshop. Take your time. Create something beautiful. Then bow before the master who not only invented sunsets, but perfected them on a cosmic scale. And that’s just the tip of the artistic iceberg! Side note: you have to be not only creative, but pretty powerful to pull that off. More on power later.
- …the radiance of (God’s) glory… Someone really smart once wrote, “Just as the rays of the sun warm and light the earth, so Jesus radiates from God to warm and light the hearts of men,” or words to that effect. People radiate emotions, but Jesus is the radiance of God. Mind. Blown.
- …the exact representation of his nature… We spend our entire lives in an attempt to be more like God. Jesus is God. (John 14:9)
- …and he upholds the universe… So, yeah, sustainability is a thing, right? People try to sustain ecosystems, businesses, families, all kinds of stuff, really. But if Jesus stopped sustaining gravity, for instance, how much would our best efforts amount to? You get the idea. Jesus = power. (Colossians 1:17)
- …purification of sins… Okay, stop. If this was the ONLY thing Jesus did, it would be enough. The bible is clear and experience bears out that all men sin. Nobody is perfect by any reasonable standard. That much is self-evident. But the Bible also says that the price of sin is death. Uh-oh. That’s kind of a serious problem because two negatives do NOT make a positive in accounting. You owe. I owe. Everyone owes, which means there is no one on our broken planet that can help you. Except Jesus. He lived a perfect life and paid the debt for anyone willing to repent and follow him. (John 14:6, Acts 4:12)
- …he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. This is about authority. We don’t always appreciate authority, but if we’re honest, we crave it. We like having police there to keep the peace around us. We want answers to a million questions and we’re glad to know the people who can give them us. We teach kids to color inside the lines because deep down we understand that structure helps us succeed even if we sometimes chafe under it. And there is no higher authority than Jesus.
Jesus is amazing in so many ways. The problem is that even those of us who claim to love and follow him are still imperfect beings who have a lot to learn about life the universe and everything. As a result we far too often make Him our last resort instead of our first choice when confronted with life’s difficulties and that can really derail our faith. The challenge, then, is this. Drive the stake of faith deep in your life before the challenges come. Know that you know that you know that Jesus is LORD. Fixate on it. Study it. Take the time to investigate the doubts and questions you have so that when the storm hits–and it will–you’re already prepared.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
- January 24: Prayer Bowling
- February 2: Super Bowl Party
- February 10: Chalk Wall in the Lion’s Den
- February 14: Cupids & Cowboys (Line Dancing?)
- February 21-23: MBCollegiate Conference (Columbia, MO)
- March 14-21: Spring Break Mission (Arlington, TX)
- April 14: Prayer Golf
- May 4: Pancake Madness
- July 20-25: Above Tree Line (RMNP, Colorado)
For more information on BSU activities and events, follow us on social media. @mosobsu
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